Construction of endless conveyers



Aug. 11, .1925.

J. FINLAYSON CONSTRUCTION OF ENDLESS CONVEYERS Filed Sent. 23 192.4

Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STTES JAMES FINLAYSON, 0F ARARAT, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.

CONSTRUCTION OF ENDLESS CONVEYEBS.

Application filed September T all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES FINLAYSON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, of Ararat, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia,engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in andConnected with the Construction of Endless Conveyers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to endless conveyers for raising such materials asstone, grain, coal, sand and the like, in buckets or other holdingdevices and has for its object the employment in the endless conveyer ofwire ropes instead of the usual chains or belts.

According to my invention, the conveyer members, such as buckets orslats, are connected at intervals to a plurality of wire cables or ropesthat are endless and pass over pulleys having plain or smooth surfacesand that are preferably provided with upstanding side flanges. The conveyer members are secured to the ropes by special means comprised by agrooved base block, conveniently fashioned to rest upon and be securedto the ropes to move therewith over the pulleys. One way of connectingthe blocks in position is by bolts that have specially formed heads thatfit against the ropes and press same into the grooves when the nuts aretightened. The base blocks are preferably made of metal but may also beformed of suitable hardwoods.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 shows in side'elevation part of anelevator and conveyer members on a pulley.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the base block between longitudinalsections of the bucket and pulley.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the block showing the holding boltsand mode of locking two pairs of ropes into the block.

Fig. 4: illustrates the base block in perspective view upside down, and

Fig. 5 is a like View of one of the holding bolts.

The wire ropes 6 pass over pulleys 7 the upper or carrying pulley beingshown in Fig. 1. The pulleys are smooth but are provided on theirperipheries with upstanding flanges 8, or like means, to limit thelateral movement of the parts supported thereon. To a pair of parallelropes or to two or more pairs of the ropes, base blocks 9 are attachedby the bolts 10 that pass through the block between each parallel ropeof a pair.

23, 1824. Serial No. 739,401.

.In the underside of the block are transverse parallel grooves 11 andbetween each of the grooves the block is cut away or re cessed for itswhole width from front to back between the grooves, in which part thehole for the reception of the bolt 10 is placed. The depth of thegrooves is sufficient to amply receive the ropes 6 that, while restingon the pulley 8, will leave a slight clearance between the pulley andthe block. The bolt 10 is made with a specially fashioned head 12 thatflares outwardly at the sides so that, when the bolt is inserted frombelow the block and passed upwards through it be tween the parallelropes and through the bucket 13 of the elevator, its head will come intoneat contact with the circular ropes 6. On the nut being tightened onthe bolt the head 12 will be pressed intimately against the ropes that,in turn, will be forced up into the grooves 11, thus securing the blockto the ropes.

To avoid injuring the ropes carrying a block and to facilitate thepassage of a block over a pulley, the underside edges of each block arewell rounded off and its underside is slightly curved from front to rearwith a radius approximating to that of the pulley over which it passes.

The bucket 13 is likewise held by the bolts 10 and to strengthen itsconnection with the base block 9 a reinforcing plate 14 is between thenut of the bolt and the bucket floor.

The length of the base blocks varies with the width of the bucket andthe nature of the materials to be conveyed and the number of haulingropes will likewise vary. Thus, for lifting stone, a block, as shown inFig. 3, and employing two pairs of ropes, would be sufficient, while ifgrain is to be raised, one pair of ropes might only be necessary, thebucket area being about the same in each instance.

I have found in practice that the blocks, the length of which should beonly slightly less than the width of the pulley between the flanges,keep the ropes in position on the plain surface of the pulley.Appreciable economies are also possible in the construction of elevatorsaccording to my invention.

I have shown the ropes as being circular in cross section, but if ropesmade rectangular in section are available, same may be used in place ofthe circular ropes. In

such case, the grooves in the base block will be made to accommodate therectangular ropes and the bolts will be fashioned in the heads to press.the ropes into the grooves. Such a head, instead of being flared, as inFig. 5, might be made to taper to engage with and press the ropes intothe grooves.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In an elevator of the kind indicated, apair of endless ropes, plain or smooth pulleys on which the ropes aresupported and move, grooved base blocks seating at intervals on and heldto the ropes and con veyer members attached to the blocks.

2. In an elevator of the kind described, pairs of endless ropes onsmooth flangedpulleys, grooved and recessed base blocks i seating atclose intervals on the ropes, a

bolt having a head shaped to the ropes between each of a pair of passingupwards through the block and a conveyer member secured to the block andthrough the same to the ropes by the bolt.

3. In an elevator of the kind described, one or more pairs of endlessropes on smooth flanged pulleys, base blocks seating at close intervalson the ropes, parallel grooves in the blocks of a depth slightly lessthan the thickness of the ropes, a transverse recess between each of thegrooves of a pair, a bolt hole in. each recess, a bolt having a head toengage and press against each pair of ropes, a conveyer member and areinforcing plate between such member and the nut of the bolt thatsecures the parts on a base block and the block to the ropes.

In witness whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES FINLAYSON.

